Chapter 154: The Long-Distance Specialist
During the uphill overload training session, although it was just a test run, Kitasan Black had clearly used up a lot of stamina.
Makoto wasn't surprised.
Having gone through extreme training himself, he knew exactly how intense such exercises could be and what kind of reactions to expect when doing them for the first time.
In most cases, very few people could make it through their first overload training session—most would need to rest halfway or stop entirely.
Even those who somehow managed to finish the full course would often end up with muscle strain or even vomit from exhaustion.
Compared to them, Kitasan Black's performance was actually quite impressive.
Keeping that in mind, once they arrived at the Unkaisō hot spring inn halfway up the mountain, Makoto told Kitasan Black to follow the staff for a hot spring treatment, while he took care of their luggage.
He had chosen this inn the moment he confirmed the location for their training camp.
Mount Mitō rose to an altitude of over 1,500 meters, and the inn sat at around 900—an ideal spot for both uphill endurance training and downhill overload training.
Just beyond the area lay Lake Okutama. Being a popular tourist spot, it had a well-maintained running track circling the lake, perfect for routine practice.
And the lake itself was another training ground.
Overload training wasn't the most common method to build endurance—it required a fairly high level of physical ability, and not every Umamusume could handle it.
In most cases, trainers would have their Umamusumes do endurance training through swimming instead.
It was a very convenient exercise that worked nearly every muscle group with minimal risk of injury.
Normally, Kitasan Black did her endurance training in the academy's indoor pool. Although the facility maintained a constant water temperature, there were always other Umamusumes around, so training there never felt entirely comfortable.
This time, however, after checking with Tokai Teio beforehand, he knew that Kitasan Black was the only one training in this area—meaning she could train as freely as she liked.
And since it was summer, there was no need to worry about the water being cold.
All of this was planned by Makoto, Kitasan Black had no idea about any of it.
When she arrived at the inn and followed the staff to the bathhouse, all she could think about was how pleasing the place was—both the surrounding scenery and the interior facilities.
From the eastern corridor of the inn, she could see a vast lake in the distance. Its surface shimmered with a blend of blue and emerald, like a jewel nestled among the mountains.
To match the natural setting, the entire inn seemed to be built from solid wood, with large slate tiles covering the roof.
Even the outer walls around the open-air baths were either painted or carbon-treated—in any case, they were entirely black, her favorite color.
The service was excellent too—besides the usual sulfur springs, there were massage therapies, nutritional meals, and even something called a "hyperbaric oxygen chamber."
She didn't quite understand what that was, even after the staff's explanation.
But after lying inside it for a while, she felt as though she were back in the mountains as a child—the air was incredibly fresh and pure, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.
When she woke up, she had no idea how long she'd slept. Upon asking, she learned that she'd been out for two or three hours straight.
Feeling completely refreshed but worried that her Trainer might have been waiting for her, she hurriedly changed into a yukata and made her way to one of the rooms.
Knock, knock.
She tapped on the door twice, and upon hearing Makoto's voice from inside—"Come in"—she eagerly slid the door open.
"Trainer! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long— huh? Suzuka-senpai?"
She first saw her Trainer, but then her eyes widened in surprise and joy at the sight of an orange-haired Umamusume beside him.
"Senpai, why are you here?"
Silence Suzuka, dressed in a tracksuit and holding a pillow, looked up from inspecting the futon laid out on the tatami and smiled.
"Hm? Are you not happy to see me, Kita-chan?"
"Eh? No, that's not what I meant at all! I'm really happy—of course I'm glad you came, Senpai!"
Realizing she might have said the wrong thing, Kitasan Black scratched her head awkwardly, then tilted it in confusion.
"But… I thought you were helping Teio-senpai with her training, right? The Summer Dream Trophy's next month, isn't it?"
"Mhm, exactly one month away," Silence Suzuka nodded, then explained, "She's doing her training at the beach right now. I actually thought you'd pick that spot too, since it's the one recommended by the academy."
"But when I heard you'd chosen the mountains instead, we talked it over, and I decided to come check in on you."
"After all, a training camp only really feels like one when everyone's together, right?"
Kitasan Black nodded almost instinctively.
For the past month or so, she hadn't participated in any races. Outside of her daily training, most of her time had gone into preparing for her final exams.
Tracen Academy placed great importance on academics in addition to racing—especially since they'd established a university division. For those who wanted to continue their studies after finishing middle school, the pressure to perform well was no joke.
She'd occasionally thought about what she wanted to do in the future.
In the past, she used to dream about becoming a singer like her grandfather. Both he and her father often told her she had a natural talent for singing, and she really did love it.
But lately, her thoughts had started to change a little.
After learning about extreme sports from her trainer, she'd become fascinated by that kind of thrilling, stylish sport.
Especially since many of those activities involved racing—something that resonated deeply with her.
Makoto had even told her she might have real talent for it—that if she pursued it seriously, she could become one of the best extreme sport athletes out there.
Unfortunately, after looking into it and asking around, she found that there didn't seem to be any extreme sport competitions designed specifically for Umamusume. So, for now, she'd had to set that dream aside.
Still, no matter what she ended up doing—whether it was the current Twinkle Series or something else entirely—studying hard was always essential.
Since she didn't consider herself especially gifted in academics, she'd just have to work twice as hard.
To pass her exams and get good grades, she'd put in a lot of effort, even asking Crow-chan and the others to tutor her.
During one of those tutoring sessions, they'd talked about the upcoming training camps, and she realized she was the only one who'd chosen Mount Mitō. She remembered feeling a little lonely about that.
That's why Silence Suzuka's unexpected appearance filled her with both gratitude and joy. It was obvious Suzuka-senpai had come partly to help her, and that made Kitasan Black's chest feel warm with appreciation.
As she was still savoring that surprise, she suddenly noticed something else—besides herself, Suzuka, and her Trainer, there was another Umamusume in the room, sitting quietly in the corner.
She had long black hair that shimmered faintly violet under the sunlight streaming through the window.
A tiny dark-purple hat shaped like an iris perched on her left ear, adorned with a blooming light-blue rose.
Like Suzuka, she was wearing a tracksuit, but she was petite—barely taller than an elementary schooler at first glance.
Noticing Kitasan Black's gaze, the girl, who had been crouched over doing something, turned around. Her face was small and delicate, her pale violet eyes soft and shy.
"Um… h-hello, Kitasan Black," she said timidly. "I—I came here at McQueen's request… You can just call me Rice Shower."
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